The present invention relates generally to turbine engines and more specifically to an improved turbine vane platform seal for use in an F-100 aircraft turbine engine.
Currently, the F-100 aircraft turbine engine has a turbine vane which uses a thick inner vane platform feather seal. One purpose of this seal is to provide for retention of the vane platform if both airfoils are burned through by a hot streak out of the combustor and seal the platform gaps against hot gas leakage. Although the existing system does provide some vane platform sealing, the use of the thick seal seriously compromises vane platform sealing. The thick seals do not bend easily to conform to the seal slots to produce a completely effective air seal. This sealing is necessary to prevent cooling air from entering into the second stage engine flow path.
The task of replacing the inner vane platform feather seal in the F-100 aircraft turbine engine is alleviated, to some degree, by the systems disclosed in the following U.S. Patents the disclosures of which are incorporated herein by reference:
U.S. Pat. No. 3,728,071 issued to Bertelson;
U.S. Pat. No. 3,542,483 issued to Gagliardi;
U.S. Pat. No. 3,970,318 issued to Tuley;
U.S. Pat. No. 3,986,789 issued to Pask;
U.S. Pat. No. 3,892,497 issued to Gunderlock et al; and
U.S. Pat. No. 3,938,906 issued to Michel et al.
All of the above-cited references relate generally to rotary kinetic fluid motors in pumps, including thermal expansion joint, resilient, stator vane in shroud ring opening and axial or circumferential expansion, and circumferential spaced nozzle or stator segments. The Michel et al patent discloses a slidable stator seal for use in a gas turbine assembly. The Pask patent discloses a stator structure for a gas turbine engine including a thin sealing strip. The Gagliardi patent discloses a turbine stator structure including a tongue arrangement.
One proposed solution entails a replacement of the thick seal used in the F-100 turbine engine with a thin seal. However, experience with this proposal indicated that thin seals alone do not provide enough strength to retain the platforms after vane burn-through.
In view of the foregoing discussion, it is apparent that there currently exists the need to provide a replacement to the turbine vane platform seals used in F-100 turbine engines. The present invention is intended to satisfy that need.